Job Racketeering: House C’ttee Summons IPPIS Desk Officer, Haruna Kolo, Others

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee probing the mismanagement of personnel recruitment, employment racketeering and gross mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has summoned the IPPIS Desk officer in the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Haruna Kolo as well as Isah Ahmed to appear before the it on Friday.

The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, during his ruling, gave the summon after the chairman of the commission, Farida Dankaka  disclosed  that  Kolo has been fingered in illegal employment and extorting money from  people.

 Dankaka while responding said  Kolo is at large and has refused to honour the invitation of the commission over Job racketeering and has ported to AMCON and didn’t resign as a staff from FCC.

The lawmakers have also requested that the Managing Director of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, should appear before the Committee to answer questions as to how kolo was employed  in AMCON without resigning from FCC.

The Human Resource Manager of the IPPIS was also fingered and is under investigation of ICPC.

Dankaka said: “When I heard about Kolo I asked that a disciplinary committee should look into his matter. I requested for Kolo to report to the commission and up till today he is nowhere to be found.”

A victim of the job racketeering , Mr Abdulmalik Isah Ahmed from Adamawa State, during the continued investigative hearing, said he is a beneficiary of the recruitment carried out in 2021 and did his IPPIS in October 2021 but was denied posting by same  Kolo.

Ahmed revealed that  27  of us  have been captured by IPPIS but Kolo who collected the money and the FCC has refused to post us.

The lawmakers in their submission questioned the rationale behind salaries paid with letters of employment and no posting.

 Dankaka was alleged to be in the middle of the whole issue while  the State Commissioners were also accused  of wanting jobs and buying property, a move  Dankaka said she objected to.

The lawmakers stressed that the issue to be investigated is the accusation that employment has been carried out but no IPPIS.

Farida’s  submission was countered by Mr Abdulmalik Isa who submitted that he got his recruitment letter with salaries paid and yet to be posted.

The state Commissioners appears to be on same page with Mr Abdulmalik that employment was carried out and IPPIS executed while the chairman of the Commission holds contrary submission.

The Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, however requested Mr Kolo to appear along with Abdulmalik Isa and with  bank statement from the CBN.

Enugu State Commissioner Ginika Tor while responding threatened to sue  Dankaka for defamation of character and that the prerequisite for the position is a school leaving certificate and proceeded to acquire a diploma in Law as against claims by Farida Dankaka that she has only school leaving certificate.

Also speaking before the committee, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, accused some agencies of violating waivers given to them on job recruitment.

According to her, this made her office to put an end to giving agencies open waivers but waivers with conditions and level of personnel to employ.

She consequently debunked the allegations that the Head of Service takes 10 per cent from agencies when it comes to job.

“I want to categorically say that the Head of Service offers services to agencies without any demand. Several agencies have violated waivers on recruitment that was why we agreed to stop giving blank waivers to agencies. We evaluate them to see their recruitment capacities”

“Most institutions that violate these waivers are academic institutions, teaching hospital and others. When given waivers, they employ more non academic staff than academic staff that was why we decided whenever they want to recruit they should write to the National Universities Commission  who oversees them directly then NUC will write us.”

The Chairman, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, however, said to the Head of Service that “though the committee also has several petition against the head of service on the issue of Job racketeering, it would still invite her for in derogation on the matter.”